The worst kept secret in football is out after City finally decided to do the honourable thing and confirm what we all knew – that Guardiola is coming to town in the summer to replace Manuel Pellegrini as boss.

On paper, the picture looks rosy for the man most people regard as the best in the business.

Guardiola will take charge of a club with untold wealth and a team that has proved it is more than capable of winning trophies.

But it is the Champions League that billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour craves above everything else and Guardiola is his most realistic shot at finally bringing it to the Etihad.

The Spaniard, who is expected in Manchester to start work before Pellegrini even leaves, despite his job at Bayern Munich, will be given a blank cheque and canvas with which to create his latest work of art.

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He has three years to do it, but if he doesn’t make rapid progress, Mansour and his fellow bosses might just find themselves in the unthinkable position of having to sack the man from a small town in north east Spain with the biggest reputation in world football.

Guardiola has work to do and will spend the next few months assessing the merits of the City squad he will inherit so he can hit the ground running in June.

Pellegrini’s stars are now on trial, but it might be too late for Yaya Toure, Wilfried Bony, Jesus Navas, Fernando, Eliaquim Mangala, Aleksandar Kolarov and Samir Nasri. Toure, who Guardiola sold to City when he was in charge of Barca, is expected to be the most highprofile casualty and the search starts now for a worldclass replacement in midfield.

Guardiola has a backbone to work from in the shape of Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany (when fit), David Silva, Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero.

But he will know the current team is nowhere near good enough to rule Europe and the lure of working under him will allow the Premier League giants to target some of the biggest talents on the planet.

The 45-year-old coach has a history, along with winning countless trophies, of working with some of the world’s best stars and it promises to be a potent mix.

However, there is much more in Guardiola’s locker than big names with big transfer fees.

His wonderful Barca side remain the prototype and while he surrounds himself with sublime talent, Guardiola’s success has been built on an incredible work ethic that sees his teams graft just as hard without the ball as with it.

A high-pressing game will become part of City’s DNA – so expect them to be great with and without possession.

Guardiola will look to build his defence around Kompany and no stone will be left unturned when it comes to getting – and keeping – the Belgian fit.

Without him, City seem incapable of keeping a clean sheet and Guardiola must decide if he can work with Kompany long term.

Chasing Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi lack genuine class at the highest level, so the case for the defence is still far from convincing.

A possible bid for Messi has been nothing more than a pipe dream – until now.

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DEPARTING: Manuel Pellegrini

Guardiola knows that while the Argentine genius remains at Barca, his own master plan to conquer Europe might never materialise and he will urge Etihad bosses to put together a deal that would stun football.

Mansour has spent several years chasing Guardiola and now has his man, so the rest of football had better look out.

Guardiola is a serial winner and will have no intention of burning his reputation in the blue half of Manchester.

His capture will send City’s profile, marketing potential and earning power into the stratosphere.

The club former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson once described as his “noisy neighbours” could just be about to bring the house down.